Concerned about Spaghetti Junction (Atlanta, Columbus: centers, to move, manufacturing)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by architect77

I-75 definitely needs to re-routed around the metro completely or simply not have any exits to prevent local use.

No one on I-85 Southbound is trying to get to I-75 South. They would’ve just taken I-95 South.

But you’re right. Some trucking and distribution facilities around the periphery of the metro that connect at least two of the interstates would be successful and possibly reignite the former logistics advantages that Atlanta used to benefit and profit from.

I'd like to see a bypass from I-85 in Gwinnett County to near Lithonia and then roughly follow GA 20 to Griffin and over to I-85 either just north or just south of Peachtree City. That might help generate distribution jobs in a deteriorating part of Dekalb County as well as in the south metro.

Then on the west side, I would like to see say a new I-67 from Cartersville at I-75 to I-85, heading down 185 to Columbus, Albany and near Tallahassee using US19. Then it would use US 19/US 27 south of I-10 and connect with Florida's Northeast Corridor, which is in their long range plans. That would connect Tampa using the Sun Coast Toll Road up to I-75 near Gainesville. The new I-67 would not just bypass central Atlanta, but would pull some traffic off I75 between Atlanta and Macon, where its often congested.

I think a north bypass is needed, but primarily for getting around the metro, not for through traffic. If the north metro residents don't want it, they are the ones who suffer. It doesn't really help the rest of the metro that much.

Of course, all of these roads would have to be tolled to help pay for them.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I think one of the biggest helps to Atlanta would be freeway connectivity that would be just outside an outer perimeter but let true interstate traffic avoid the Atlanta metro area. Here are proposals and my modifications I have read in the last decade or so.

Extend Interstate 81 to Tallahassee and/or Panama City: Let it overlay 75 from Knoxville to Chattanooga and then follow the old West Georgia Tollway proposal. It would overlay I-185 and connect Tallahassee to Chattanooga. This provides a western route through Georgia and bypasses metro Atlanta.

Some Middle Georgia east/west road. Either the I-14 proposal or I-16 extended west to Columbus or the Fall Line freeway ugraded to interstate standards. An east west route thru the state that avoids Atlanta.

Interstate 3. But instead of going from Augusta thru the Blue Ridge to Knoxville, go from Atlanta to Athens then loop north of the metro area a little further out than the now defunct northern loop. Tie back to Rome and perhaps an interstate over to Huntsville.

These would give a triangle of roads that steer interstate and truck travel away from the metro area.

Agree with this idea. This would give both a true north-of-Atlanta bypass and an interstate connection between Savannah and Augusta.

[J2rescue]

Originally Posted by architect77

Your food, clothing & shelter-building materials arrived via Spaghetti junction, so how do you quantify the benefit for you & pay what you owe like what you keep saying about direct users paying for the road they’re on?

This is not a "benefit". The cost of transporting that food & clothing is baked into it's cost regardless of the delivery method.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

I think one of the biggest helps to Atlanta would be freeway connectivity that would be just outside an outer perimeter but let true interstate traffic avoid the Atlanta metro area. Here are proposals and my modifications I have read in the last decade or so.

Extend Interstate 81 to Tallahassee and/or Panama City: Let it overlay 75 from Knoxville to Chattanooga and then follow the old West Georgia Tollway proposal. It would overlay I-185 and connect Tallahassee to Chattanooga. This provides a western route through Georgia and bypasses metro Atlanta.

Some Middle Georgia east/west road. Either the I-14 proposal or I-16 extended west to Columbus or the Fall Line freeway ugraded to interstate standards. An east west route thru the state that avoids Atlanta.

Interstate 3. But instead of going from Augusta thru the Blue Ridge to Knoxville, go from Atlanta to Athens then loop north of the metro area a little further out than the now defunct northern loop. Tie back to Rome and perhaps an interstate over to Huntsville.

These would give a triangle of roads that steer interstate and truck travel away from the metro area.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Agree with this idea. This would give both a true north-of-Atlanta bypass and an interstate connection between Savannah and Augusta.

Originally Posted by bu2

I'd like to see a bypass from I-85 in Gwinnett County to near Lithonia and then roughly follow GA 20 to Griffin and over to I-85 either just north or just south of Peachtree City. That might help generate distribution jobs in a deteriorating part of Dekalb County as well as in the south metro.

Then on the west side, I would like to see say a new I-67 from Cartersville at I-75 to I-85, heading down 185 to Columbus, Albany and near Tallahassee using US19. Then it would use US 19/US 27 south of I-10 and connect with Florida's Northeast Corridor, which is in their long range plans. That would connect Tampa using the Sun Coast Toll Road up to I-75 near Gainesville. The new I-67 would not just bypass central Atlanta, but would pull some traffic off I75 between Atlanta and Macon, where its often congested.

I think a north bypass is needed, but primarily for getting around the metro, not for through traffic. If the north metro residents don't want it, they are the ones who suffer. It doesn't really help the rest of the metro that much.

Of course, all of these roads would have to be tolled to help pay for them.

A northern outer bypass beyond the Atlanta suburbs (in the form of an "East-West Highway" through the North Georgia Mountains region between US 441 in northeast Georgia and I-59 in northwest Georgia) actually is on the Georgia Department of Transportation's "GRIP" (Governor's Road Improvement Program) and is still on the map as of December 2018.

(Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) Current Status December 2018)
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/Do...ap/GRIPMAP.pdf

(Georgia Department of Transportation Fact Sheet East-West Highway)
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/do...yFactSheet.pdf

But I do not think that the road appears on the GRIP map for anything other than traffic modeling purposes at this time because of the obvious significant political sensitivities of attempting to build a new highway through the Blue Ridge Mountains region of North Georgia (or Western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee).

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Atlanta desperately needs alternate means of bypassing the entire metro for thru or freight traffic. There are only two interstates (not counting 3 digit interstates) in the entire state that do not pass through Atlanta. Those are I-95 and I-16... arguably if you want to consider I-16 given its mainly just an Macon / Savannah connector and never leaves the state.

I personally believe though that it needs to be a Toll Road / Turnpike however.

There is only approximately 20 miles between Atlanta's most western suburb and the Alabama State Line... meaning unless I-81 dipped into Alabama to completely avoid Atlanta before returning to Georgia - it would just further Atlanta's suburban sprawl in the western suburbs. A Turnpike would mitigate alot of that given they typically have limited exits and the tolls would detur people from wanting to use it.

I-85 needs something similar on the east, but not all the way to Florida... ending at I-75 at I-475 nearby Macon would suffice

I don't think it needs to dip into Alabama just to avoid causing metro sprawl. Converting US 27 to interstate status would basically do this route. Connect LaGrange to Carrollton to Rome to Chattanooga. Is this really a route that is going to cause Growth from Douglas and Paulding to suddenly zoom that direction? Maybe slightly but I am doubtful.

I remember reading about upgrading GA 109, 18 and 74 into a 4 lane divided freeway from LaGrange thru Greenville, Woodbury, Thomaston and on to Macon. Was supposedly a promise from the state to Kia manufacturing to provide a better access from their plant in West Point to the ports in Savannah and Brunswick. Is this still on the drawing boards?

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

A northern outer bypass beyond the Atlanta suburbs (in the form of an "East-West Highway" through the North Georgia Mountains region between US 441 in northeast Georgia and I-59 in northwest Georgia) actually is on the Georgia Department of Transportation's "GRIP" (Governor's Road Improvement Program) and is still on the map as of December 2018.

(Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) Current Status December 2018)
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/Do...ap/GRIPMAP.pdf

(Georgia Department of Transportation Fact Sheet East-West Highway)
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/do...yFactSheet.pdf

But I do not think that the road appears on the GRIP map for anything other than traffic modeling purposes at this time because of the obvious significant political sensitivities of attempting to build a new highway through the Blue Ridge Mountains region of North Georgia (or Western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee).

Thanks for this link. That East West road is sorely needed. Looks like it is upgrading existing 2 lane roads to 4. I do not see the aforementioned expansion of 109, 18 and 74 from LaGrange to Macon on this plan.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

A northern outer bypass beyond the Atlanta suburbs (in the form of an "East-West Highway" through the North Georgia Mountains region between US 441 in northeast Georgia and I-59 in northwest Georgia) actually is on the Georgia Department of Transportation's "GRIP" (Governor's Road Improvement Program) and is still on the map as of December 2018.

(Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) Current Status December 2018)
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/Do...ap/GRIPMAP.pdf

(Georgia Department of Transportation Fact Sheet East-West Highway)
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/do...yFactSheet.pdf

But I do not think that the road appears on the GRIP map for anything other than traffic modeling purposes at this time because of the obvious significant political sensitivities of attempting to build a new highway through the Blue Ridge Mountains region of North Georgia (or Western North Carolina or Eastern Tennessee).

At some point they're going to have to get that "East-West Highway" built. But they'll literally have to move earth to do it through that kind of terrain.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

At some point they're going to have to get that "East-West Highway" built. But they'll literally have to move earth to do it through that kind of terrain.

Couldn't be harder than I-24 was.
It would be nice to see a scenic highway up that way

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Thanks for this link. That East West road is sorely needed. Looks like it is upgrading existing 2 lane roads to 4. I do not see the aforementioned expansion of 109, 18 and 74 from LaGrange to Macon on this plan.

Fall line Freeway is the LaGrange to Macon. Its proposed to be part of an Interstate 14. I-14 already exists in Texas. The proposal is to go from Midland to Killeen (Ft. Hood) to Bryan/College Station to Alexandria, LA (Camp Beauregard) to Natchez, MS to Meridian, MS to Montgomery, AL (along a route also proposed for an I-85 extension) to Columbus, GA where it follows the Fall Line Freeway. Its also called the Forts to Ports interstate.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by bu2

Fall line Freeway is the LaGrange to Macon. Its proposed to be part of an Interstate 14. I-14 already exists in Texas. The proposal is to go from Midland to Killeen (Ft. Hood) to Bryan/College Station to Alexandria, LA (Camp Beauregard) to Natchez, MS to Meridian, MS to Montgomery, AL (along a route also proposed for an I-85 extension) to Columbus, GA where it follows the Fall Line Freeway. Its also called the Forts to Ports interstate.

I-14 is on my dream list.

Would make my commutes between Austin and Atlanta so much easier instead of having to go all the way to DFW to catch I-20.